For a hand-held microphone used, for example, on a stage, considering the ease of installation and withdrawal, a type in which a microphone can be attached to and detached from a microphone cable via a connector has preferably been used. One example thereof is explained with reference to FIG. 4.
This microphone has a microphone grip 10 formed into a cylindrical shape because it is used in a hand-held manner. On the front end side of the microphone grip 10, a microphone unit, not shown, is supported, and to protect the microphone unit, a guard mesh 11 consisting of, for example, a wire mesh element is installed on the front end side of the microphone grip 10.
On the rear end side of the microphone grip 10, a connector housing section 12 is provided integrally, and a connector 13 is housed in the connector housing section 12. In many cases, as the connector 13, a three-pin type connector specified in EIAJ RC-5236 “Audio latch lock round type connector” is used.
When the microphone is in use, a connection plug 21 on the microphone cable 20 side is inserted in the connector housing section 12, by which the connection plug 21 is connected to the connector 13. The connection plug 21 is provided with a latch claw 23 operated so as to be projected and retracted by a push knob 22, and on the connector housing section 12 side, a locking hole 12a serving as the mate of the latch claw 23 is formed.
The latch claw 23 is projected in a normal state by a spring means, not shown. Therefore, when the connection plug 21 is inserted compulsorily into the connector housing section 12, the latch claw 23 enters into the locking hole 12a, by which the connection plug 21 is locked automatically. When the locking due to the latch claw 23 is released by pushing the push knob 22, the connection plug 21 can be removed.
The hand-held microphone is often dropped onto a floor surface etc. as compared with other types of microphones. In particular, if the microphone drops in a state in which the connector housing section 12 is on the downside and the microphone cable 20 is not connected, the connector housing section 12 is deformed by the shock, and resultantly the connection plug 21 cannot be inserted.
Also, the connection plug 21 is locked in the connector housing section 12 by the latch claw 23. For example, when the microphone is used for a vocal use on a stage etc., the push knob 22 is sometimes pushed mistakenly, and hence the connection plug 21 comes off. At this time, much noise is produced.
Thereupon, to protect the connector housing section 12 from a drop shock, a method has been used in which a protective sleeve 30 consisting of a rubber elastic element is put around the connector housing section 12. Also, in order to prevent the connection plug 21 from coming off due to misoperation of the push knob 22, a detachment regulating adapter has only to be installed around the push knob 22 as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. H06-85592.
However, the detachment regulating adapter is a part which is attached afterward to the connection plug 21, so that it has a problem in that not only the attachment/detachment thereof is troublesome but also it is lost easily.
Also, the protective sleeve 30 sometimes slips at the time of attachment/detachment of the connection plug 21, and thus comes off the connector housing section 12 inadvertently. In order to prevent the coming-off, the protective sleeve 30 has only to be fixed to the connector housing section 12 with an adhesive etc., but this method poses a problem as described below.
First, when the hand-held microphone is used in a state of being held on a microphone stand, the protective sleeve 30 hinders the mounting of the microphone on some microphone stand. Therefore, it is necessary to configure the microphone so that the protective sleeve 30 can be removed at any time.
Next, the connector 13 is connected electrically and mechanically to the connector housing section 12 by pushing the connector 13 against the internal surface of the connector housing section 12 by turning an incorporated male screw 13a with a screwdriver. In some cases, the connector 13 must be removed for maintenance, so that it is unfavorable to bondingly fix the protective sleeve 30.